BOZEMAN — Both Montana and Montana State have decided not to add cost of attendance stipends to the scholarships of their student athletes.
MSU athletic director Peter Fields says the idea remains open for future discussion but he says the university cannot afford to pay the federally set $3,390 per year per scholarship.
Montana athletic director Kent Haslam says the university also can’t afford the stipend without increasing revenue, which is now derived through student fees, donations, multimedia rights, institutional support or ticket sales.
The NCAA in January expanded the set of costs that schools across the country are allowed to cover.
Four schools that play football at the subdivision level have announced plans to increase aid for 2016-17, including the Big Sky’s North Dakota.